Goodnight Nobody Summary

Synopsis

Best-selling author Jennifer Weiner returns with Goodnight Nobody, a suburban mystery full of Weiner's wit and wisdom. The novel's protagonist, Kate Klein Borowitz, and her husband, Ben, are recent transplants to Upchurch, Connecticut, following a mugging on the streets of New York City. A Connecticut housewife who takes mommy-and-me pilates classes and drives the requisite minivan, Kate cannot quite seem to break into the club of "supermommies" who populate her town, Upchurch. Kate's life suddenly takes an interesting turn when she discovers her neighbor, Kitty Cavanaugh, stabbed to death. Kate's former life as a celebrity gossip columnist suddenly becomes relevant as she launches a one-woman crusade to solve the mystery of Kitty's killing.

As Kate delves further into the details of Kitty's death and into the disappearance of Lexi Hagen-Holt, one of the town's "supermommies," her marriage begins to fail. And if solving a murder and a missing person case were not enough to keep her busy, Kate's twin boys and five-year-old daughter, Sophie, monopolize the rest of her time. Nevertheless, Kate soldiers on and uncovers evidence of Kitty's secret life. She is surprised to learn that she and Kitty share a common acquaintance—New York detective Evan McKenna, who just happens to be a former fling of Kate's.

As the result of her own unofficial investigation, Kate discovers that Kitty was a ghostwriter for Laura Lynn Baird, a popular television star. In fact, Kitty had penned the equally popular newspaper column "The Good Mother" for which Baird had received credit. In addition, Kitty had a book deal in the works that would have made her even wealthier than she already was. Kate is determined to solve Kitty's murder, and to do so she enlists her friend Janie. Throughout the investigation, what shocks Kate the most is how much she and Kitty seemed to have had in common.

Published in 2005, Goodnight Nobody is Weiner's fourth novel. Before desperate housewives were in vogue, Weiner devised the perfect prototype in Kate Klein Borowitz. The book explores familiar Weiner themes—motherhood, missed opportunities, marriage—and also celebrates the juggling act that so many women must manage in their lives.